"Are you really going to try and take that hit? Isn't that a bit too arrogant?" Sengoku asked with a grim expression. Beside him, Vice Admiral Tsuru looked just as serious. They watched the sky with heavy hearts, knowing the scale of the power about to collide.
"Carl, the Lightning Great Swordsman, certainly has courage," Kizaru added. His usual playful tone was gone, replaced by a rare moment of sincerity. "The young people of today are truly terrifying."
Not far away, Marshall D. Teach let out a jagged laugh. "Zehahaha! If he ran away from Kaido, Carl wouldn't be one of the strongest men on the sea! It is a shame such a powerful man serves under the Straw Hats. It seems Luffy will definitely be my greatest enemy!" Blackbeard's smile turned dangerous as he plotted his next move.
Every person on the island looked up at the sky. They were all about to witness the greatest collision between the lightning master, Carl, and the veteran Yonko, Kaido.
"Yes! Carl is a dead man!" Doflamingo laughed wildly from the sidelines. "He can never defeat a monster like Kaido!"
"No way!" Luffy shouted back with total confidence. "Teacher Carl will definitely win. I have seen this move before. We won with it back then, and he is even stronger now!"
Luffy remembered meeting Kaido before his journey to the Boing Islands. Back then, Carl and Luffy had joined forces to drive the Governor-General of the Animal Kingdom Pirates away, though they were both badly hurt. Now that Carl had grown so much stronger, Luffy saw no reason to be afraid.
High above, Carl's face was set in a solemn mask. Electric arcs danced across his skin as his entire body transformed into pure lightning. The sky turned dark and heavy with clouds, making it look as though the end of the world had arrived. Even the buildings on the ground below began to hum with static, showing signs of turning into lightning themselves.
This was the power of an Awakened Devil Fruit. If Carl pushed his power to the limit, he could turn the entire world around him into a storm. However, he believed he didn't even need his Awakening to settle this. By combining his Logia powers, his elite swordsmanship, and his Haki, he was sure he could bring Kaido down. Carl had spent his whole life tempering his body through special breathing methods and medicinal baths. His Haki had reached a level where he would not lose to the King of the Beasts.
"Hakoku! Thor! Shinjuku! All moves in one!" Carl roared.
"Thunder Strike!"
Carl's body swelled until he looked like a giant god of thunder. The two swords in his hands transformed into massive blades of lightning. He coated them in a thick layer of Armament Haki and let his Conqueror's Haki flare out. With a thunderous cry, he swung the massive blades down toward Kaido's dragon head.
The lightning swords slammed into the flaming horns of the dragon. For a single second, the entire world seemed to stand still. The colors of the sky faded into black and white as the very space between them began to crack. A violent explosion of sound followed, deafening everyone below. A massive shockwave, shaped like a mushroom cloud, erupted from the point of impact.
The force of the blow sent a storm sweeping across Dressrosa. The ground cracked and shifted, and it felt as if the entire island might sink into the ocean. Fortunately, because the fight was happening so high in the air, the island stayed afloat. However, the pressure was so great that the sea was pushed away from the shores, causing the water level to drop by more than $10$ meters. Everyone knew that when the water rushed back, a massive tsunami would follow.
With a final boom, Kaido's dragon form was blasted out of the sky. He shifted back into his human shape and slammed into the ground with enough force to create a crater. Carl was also sent flying backward. He coughed up blood as he tumbled through the air, clearly suffering from internal injuries. Despite the pain, Carl began to laugh. He knew he had won this exchange. Kaido's injuries were far worse than his own.
"The younger generation is amazing. This man is too dangerous," Sengoku muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"Should we take this chance to finish him off?" Kizaru asked, his fingers twitching as if he were preparing a laser beam.
Fujitora remained silent, but he clearly did not like the idea. He looked at the destruction and thought about the people. If Carl hadn't been there to stop Kaido's rampage, thousands would have died. He felt a sting of sadness at his own powerlessness. In the end, it was the Straw Hat Pirates who were saving this country.
"Zehahaha! Should I take this chance to kill Carl myself?" Blackbeard whispered, looking eager to jump into the fray.
But Luffy was faster than anyone expected. Using his high combat instincts, he activated Gear 4 on the spot. He lunged at Doflamingo, aiming a massive King Kong Gun at the warlord. Doflamingo was caught off guard. He didn't expect Luffy to attack so suddenly while everyone else was focused on the sky.
Desperate, Doflamingo unleashed his strongest technique. "Sixteen Holy Bullets: God Thread!"
Sixteen thick bundles of white string rose from the ground, all coated in black Armament Haki. They shot toward Luffy like spears, aiming to pierce his inflated arm. The others turned their heads, suddenly curious to see how the fight between the rookie and the warlord would end.
The King Kong Gun crashed into the God Threads. Luffy's Conqueror's Haki was so intense that it shattered Doflamingo's defense instantly. The massive fist slammed into Doflamingo's chest, the Armament Haki ripping through his body. The warlord didn't even have time to scream before he was sent crashing into the ruins, covered in blood.
As Doflamingo lost consciousness, the Birdcage made of string began to vanish. It was the final proof of his defeat. Sengoku, Tsuru, Kizaru, and Fujitora stood in silence. They watched the people of Dressrosa cry out in joy. The feeling of hope replacing despair filled the air.
"Zehahaha! Doflamingo is finished," Blackbeard laughed. "There is no point in helping him now. Let's do something more useful!" He turned and began to fly toward the injured Carl.
Luffy reacted instantly. Using the compressed air from his legs, he flew through the sky at high speed. He landed right in front of Carl, blocking Blackbeard's path. Luffy had defeated Doflamingo quickly specifically so he could get back to protect his friend.
Blackbeard and Luffy stared each other down. Their Conqueror's Haki clashed in mid-air, creating red streaks of lightning that cracked the sky. The tension was thick, and everyone wondered if a war between two potential Emperors was about to start.
Luffy's eyes were wide and full of rage. His Haki began to push Blackbeard's back, forcing the older pirate to grumble in frustration. Blackbeard was shocked to find that his willpower was being overpowered by the young captain. He realized that Luffy wasn't even tired yet. Continuing this fight would only leave him open to a Marine attack.
Blackbeard looked over at his crew. Burgess, Shiryu, and Van Augur were all struggling against their own opponents. He decided it wasn't worth the risk.
"Burgess! Shiryu! Van Augur! Fall back!" Blackbeard shouted. "It isn't worth staying here. We can find other Devil Fruits elsewhere. We're leaving!"
The three pirates immediately broke away from their fights with Marco and the others. They turned and ran toward the port. Marco, Ace, and Vista watched them go with murder in their eyes. They wanted to tear Blackbeard apart for what he had done to their family, but they knew they weren't strong enough to win a full-scale war right now. They stayed where they were, letting the villains retreat.
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